Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes was 2.66 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.66 million
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
43rd
of 219 countries
All-time high
5.03 million
in 1987
All-time low
1.91 million
in 1971
Years of data
54
1971–2024
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Republic of Korea, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Republic of Korea is 2.66 million, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Republic of Korea peaked at 5.03 million in 1987 and was at its lowest, 1.91 million, in 1971.
Republic of Korea ranks 43rd of 219 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.91 million | — |
| 1972 | 2.17 million | +13.7% |
| 1973 | 2.40 million | +10.6% |
| 1974 | 2.65 million | +10.4% |
| 1975 | 2.88 million | +8.7% |
| 1976 | 3.11 million | +8.0% |
| 1977 | 3.32 million | +6.8% |
| 1978 | 3.49 million | +5.1% |
| 1979 | 3.69 million | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 4.00 million | +8.2% |
| 1981 | 4.29 million | +7.2% |
| 1982 | 4.34 million | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 4.43 million | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 4.69 million | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 4.83 million | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 4.93 million | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 5.03 million | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 4.90 million | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 4.82 million | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 4.70 million | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 4.56 million | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 4.44 million | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 4.46 million | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 4.58 million | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 4.65 million | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 4.71 million | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 4.57 million | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 4.37 million | -4.4% |
| 1999 | 4.18 million | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 3.96 million | -5.2% |
| 2001 | 3.77 million | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 3.66 million | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 3.65 million | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 3.70 million | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 3.80 million | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 3.86 million | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 3.93 million | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 3.96 million | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 3.99 million | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 3.96 million | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 3.88 million | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 3.79 million | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 3.72 million | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 3.58 million | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 3.40 million | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 3.23 million | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 3.07 million | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 2.89 million | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 2.73 million | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 2.67 million | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 2.67 million | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 2.63 million | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 2.63 million | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 2.66 million | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.85 million | 1.91 million | 3.69 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 4.62 million | 4.00 million | 5.03 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.52 million | 4.18 million | 4.71 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.83 million | 3.65 million | 3.99 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.43 million | 2.73 million | 3.96 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.65 million | 2.63 million | 2.67 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
More education data for Republic of Korea
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 846,694 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -7.78 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 132,721 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 40,412 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.23 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -0.0122 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Republic of Korea?
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes in Republic of Korea was 2.66 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.03 million in 1987.
- What is the lowest enrolment in secondary education, both sexes recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.91 million in 1971.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes?
- Republic of Korea ranks 43rd out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release